$30.00

Controlling the power circuits of as many as four separate devices is a snap with this relay module. Each mechanical relay can control a seperate circuit of up to 210W of DC power or 1750 VA of AC power. This module requires an external power supply, which is isolated from the VINT port in order to improve stability by preventing ground loops. The relays by nature also isolate the load circuit from the control circuit, meaning you don't have to worry about voltage spikes in the load damaging your VINT Hub or computer. The REL1000 connects to a port on a VINT Hub. See the Comaptible Products tab for a list of hubs.

VINT Hubs

This Phidget is a smart device that must be controlled by a VINT Hub. For more information about VINT, have a look at the VINT Primer. You can use a Phidget Cable to simply and easily connect the two devices. Here's a list of all of the different VINT Hubs currently available:

Phidget Cables

Use a Phidget cable to connect this device to the hub. You can solder multiple cables together in order to make even longer Phidget cables, but you should be aware of the effects of having long wires in your system.

Power Supplies

This Phidget requires a power supply between 8 and 30V DC. We recommend that you use a 12V 2A DC power supply, since this is more than enough power to operate all four relays. Select the power supply from the list below that matches your region's wall socket type.

Connect the circuits you're switching to the terminal blocks on the REL1000. If you want the circuit to be closed by default when the relay is not energized, connect the two ends of the circuit to the NC and COM terminals. If you want the circuit to be open by default, connect it to the NO and COM terminals instead. It doesn't matter which end of the circuit is connected connected to each of the two terminals in either case.

Connect the power supply to the barrel jack on the REL1000.

Now that you have everything together, let's start using the REL1000!

Using the REL1000

Phidget Control Panel

In order to demonstrate the functionality of the REL1000, the Phidget Control Panel running on a Windows machine will be used.

The Phidget Control Panel is available for use on both macOS and Windows machines.

Windows

To open the Phidget Control Panel on Windows, find the icon in the taskbar. If it is not there, open up the start menu and search for Phidget Control Panel

macOS

To open the Phidget Control Panel on macOS, open Finder and navigate to the Phidget Control Panel in the Applications list. Double click on the icon to bring up the Phidget Control Panel.

For more information, take a look at the getting started guide for your operating system:

First Look

After plugging the REL1000 into your computer and opening the Phidget Control Panel, you will see something like this:

The Phidget Control Panel will list all connected Phidgets and associated objects, as well as the following information:

Serial number: allows you to differentiate between similar Phidgets.

Channel: allows you to differentiate between similar objects on a Phidget.

Version number: corresponds to the firmware version your Phidget is running. If your Phidget is listed in red, your firmware is out of date. Update the firmware by double-clicking the entry.

The Phidget Control Panel can also be used to test your device. Double-clicking on an object will open an example.

Relay Output

Double-click on a Digital Output object labelled Power Relay in order to run the example:

General information about the selected object will be displayed at the top of the window. You can also experiment with the following functionality:

Toggle the state of the relay by pressing the button.

Technical Details

Safety

The relays on the REL1000 are SPDT (Single pole, double throw). This means there is a common pin (C), a normally open pin (NO) and a normally closed pin (NC). When the relay is unpowered, the switch will be resting in the NC position, as seen in the diagram. When the relay's Digital Output object is toggled in software, it will switch to the NO position. If the Digital Output object is closed (using the Close() method), the relay will always return to the NC position. For this reason, it is considered a best practice to call Close() at the end of your program on in the 'closing' portion of your project.

If communication between the REL1000 and your computer is broken (e.g. if the Phidget cable is unplugged), the relay will not change state. You will, however, get a detach event for the attached channels of that Phidget, so you may want to handle this case in your Digital Output detach handler. Since communication is already interrupted at this point, you can't tell the Digital Output to return to the NC position, but you can set a warning in your program to notify someone to come and reset the system manually.

What to do Next

General Phidget Programming - Read this general guide to the various aspects of programming with Phidgets. Learn how to log data into a spreadsheet, use Phidgets over the network, and much more.

Phidget22 API - The API is a universal library of all functions and definitions for programming with Phidgets. Just select your language and device and it'll give you a complete list of all properties, methods, events, and enumerations that are at your disposal.

Product Specifications

Board Properties

Controlled By

VINT

Relay Properties

Number of Relays

4

Switch Type

SPDT

Load Current Min

100 mA

Turn-off Time Max

5 ms

Turn-on Time Max

8 ms

Contact Resistance Max

50 mΩ

Dielectric Strength

1.5 kV AC

Electromagnet Coil Resistance

70 Ω

Switching Power Max (Real)

210 W

Switching Power Max (Apparent)

1.8 kVA

Electrical Properties

Load Voltage Max (DC)

* 30 V DC

Load Current Max (DC)

7 A

Load Voltage Max (AC)

277 V AC

Load Current Max (AC)

12 A

Current Consumption Min (VINT Port)

500 μA

Power Consumption

40 mW

Supply Voltage Min

8 V DC

Supply Voltage Max

30 V DC

Physical Properties

Recommended Wire Size

12 - 24 AWG

Operating Temperature Min

-40 °C

Operating Temperature Max

70 °C

*Note: Switching this relay at voltages higher than 30V will result in a reduced product lifespan.

Please Note: This relay cannot be switched at its maximum AC voltage and current at the same time. Ensure that total power of the load does not exceed the switching power for the relay. For example, you can switch this relay at 277V AC and 6.3A (1750VA), or at 145V AC and 12A (1750VA), but not at 277V and 12A (3324VA).

Estimated Relay Lifespan

The lifespan of the relays on this Phidget vary depending on how much current you're switching and whether it's AC or DC. The following graph illustrates the relationship between load current and relay lifespan:

The vertical axis is the lifespan of the relay (number of actuations) and the horizontal axis is load current in amps. As you can see, increasing load current from 5A to 10A can reduce relay life by more than half.

VINT Hubs

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Phidgets Inc.

We believe in getting problems solved quickly and projects finished on time. That's why we specialize in making affordable, easy to use sensors and controllers that require minimal electronics knowledge.

Phidgets Inc.

We believe in getting problems solved quickly and projects finished on time. That's why we specialize in making affordable, easy to use sensors and controllers that require minimal electronics knowledge.